Playtime is over, kids. Your mom isn’t going to drive three and a half hours to deliver you macaroni and cheese, and Night Owl just doesn’t cut it anymore. The day is fast approaching (or may have already come) when you need to arm yourself with the proper ingredients for adulthood. Namely, food that you buy at the grocery store. Here are some helpful tips for navigating the garishly lit aisles.

Plan ahead – As we all know, Wegmans is the Magic Kingdom of grocery stores. It has an unstoppable bakery section, cheese samples all day and even a cool train that winds around the ceiling. Exploring such a vast wonder world is a great way to kill upward of two hours, but it’s just as easy to leave with nothing besides pumpkin beer, Nutella and a sub. Equip yourself with a well-thought-out list of ingredients with staples like pasta, chicken, eggs, rice and milk. And plan to make your meals for the week during the weekend or whenever you can spare a few hours. You will emerge victorious.

Don’t be afraid of coupons – Life isn’t extreme couponing. You don’t need to turn into your grandma to go grocery shopping, but coupons can be a shining beacon of savings once in a while. Some stores (including Wegmans) double coupons, which is nice. That 75-cent Pantene shampoo coupon just turned into $1.50 worth of savings. Certain stores like Target even have apps that auto-load coupons, and you just wave your phone at checkout. If you want to go the extra mile, sign up for the store card for in-house savings.

Be prepared to make quick decisions – If the kale on your list is out of stock, don’t spend 20 minutes bemoaning the vegetable selection in existential crisis mode. Have a few alternatives in mind — this is especially vital in the cereal aisle — and move on with your life.

Embrace the idea that other stores exist – Surprise: Wegmans is not the only grocery store around. You also may have noticed that it’s slightly pricier than, say, Weis. Consider taking a field trip to Price Chopper for a different selection. Furthermore, the German-owned store Aldi, located on Upper Front Street in Binghamton, is a college kid’s dream: They’re fantastic at knocking off name-brand products and selling them at about one-third of the price. Some of the produce can be sketchy, but it’s a great stop for reasonably priced cereal, canned goods, breads and dairy products.

Limit yourself – It’s easy to go crazy and buy 16 packages of double-stuffed Oreos, a candy jump rope and a chocolate-filled sympathy card for yourself. But try picking one junk food or candy that you really like for that week and stick to it. This is particularly difficult for people whose parents restricted their junk food intake while growing up. Being calm and admitting that you are powerless over junk food and that your life has become unmanageable is the first step to recovery.

With these steps, you should be ready to shop like an adult and a true grocer. Good luck, Godspeed and happy shopping!